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R. Kelly sued for alleged sexual assault

Posted at 5:50 PM, May 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-22 17:50:41-04

A 20-year-old woman has filed suit against singer R. Kelly, claiming he unlawfully gave her alcohol, assaulted her and gave her a sexually transmitted disease.

According to the suit obtained by CNN, Faith Rodgers says she was 19 when she first met the singer last year after Kelly performed in San Antonio, Texas.

Rodgers says she was in a year-long relationship with Kelly, formed “under the auspices of helping her develop a career in entertainment.”

Kelly, 51, allegedly supplied Rodgers with alcohol during their first meeting. According to the suit, Kelly stayed in contact with Rodgers after he left Texas, saying he wanted them “to develop a long term romantic relationship.”

Weeks later, Kelly arranged for Rodgers to travel to New York for one of his concerts and put her up in a hotel, she says. After Kelly’s show, Rodgers claims the singer came to her room, disregarded her statements that she was “not ready to have sex,” and “initiated non-consensual oral and vaginal intercourse.”

As a result, Rodgers says she contracted herpes from the singer.

Rodgers also claims that Kelly filmed her without her consent, locked her in secluded rooms and motor vehicles as punishment for not pleasing him sexually and subjected her to abuse.

“During the course of their, approximately one-year relationship, Defendant R. Kelly, routinely engaged in intimidation, mental, verbal and sexual abuse, during and after sexual contact,” the suit states. “Defendant’s conduct was designed to humiliate, embarrass, intimidate and shame Plaintiff.”

Representatives for Kelly declined comment on this story.

The allegations are the latest in a series of accusations of sexual misconduct against Kelly, who recently became the subject of an online movement to #MuteRKelly.

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The campaign has gained traction.

Earlier this month the streaming service Spotify removed Kelly’s music from all its playlists and algorithmic recommendations as part of its policy on hate content and hateful conduct.

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Kelly’s long history of accusations of impropriety with young women date back to 1994, when the singer was 27 years old and reportedly married his 15-year-old protegee, singer Aaliyah.

The marriage was annulled after Aaliyah’s family became aware of it, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Two years later, Tiffany Hawkins filed suit against him, as well as his record, publishing and management companies, claiming personal injuries and emotional damage arising from what she alleged was a sexual relationship she had with Kelly, which she said began when she was 15 and ended when she was 18.

That case was settled out of court — as was a suit brought in 2001 by former Epic Records intern Tracy Sampson, who claimed she began a sexual relationship with the singer when she was 17.

Kelly has denied any wrong doing and has not been charged with any crimes connected with women’s the allegations.

In 2002, Kelly was charged with 21 counts of child pornography related to his allegedly videotaping himself having sex with an unidentified underage girl. The case went to trial in 2008, and Kelly was acquitted on all charges.

In April 2018, Rodgers filed a complaint with the Dallas Police Department alleging that Kelly had knowingly given her a sexually transmitted disease.

A Dallas police spokesperson told CNN the incident is not being investigated as a sexual assault since both parties were consenting adults at the time of the alleged act.